


New Times

by Duece



Series: New Times [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2018-10-30 01:09:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10865907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duece/pseuds/Duece





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Neue Zeiten](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10807320) by [Duece](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duece/pseuds/Duece). 



It was the 20th August 1993 ....

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Magic  
headmaster's office  
principal  
County Hogsmead  
Scotland  
Great Britain

Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,

As reported in the last meeting of the Wizengamot and in the subsequent meeting, her are most important facts:

\- increase of the study fees from 500 ₲ to 5,000 ₲ per year  
\- 2500 ₲ to the Ministry of Magic  
\- 1500 ₲ to the Hogwarts Board of Governors  
\- 750 ₲ to the A.H.G Foundation  
\- 250 ₲ to Hogwarts  
\- Reduction of the study funding from 500 ₲ to 10 ₲ per student  
\- increase in annual taxes on land by 15,000 ₲ to 120,000 ₲

Payments until 31 August each year in the appropriate Vault in Gringotts. In case of default, a penalty of 15.7% per week will be charged.

Sincerely

Simon Harry Bevan  
Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Education

Dumbledore read the letter for the second time, because although he knew what came he was surprised. He took off his half-moon glasses and turned the glasses iron between thumb and index finger. A low chimes resounded and took him out of his thoughts, because somebody had opened the gargoyle which guarded the stairs to his office.

He did not need to be a seer to know who came up there.  
"Hello Minerva, I suppose you got a letter too." He said shortly after the door was opened.  
"Are they crazy? How dare they? Do we have a gold shitting mule?" The Deputy Headmistress began and her curses becoming more and more extreme.  
This was a site of Minerva McGonagall professor of transformation, Gryffindor's head of house, and deputy headmistress, which was rarely seen. Her full Scottish temperament was very rarely seen.

Dumbledore knew that Minerva, once she'd gotten into such a thing, took a long time to come back down, so he just listened to her and had to smile a bit when he heard what she wanted do to the Ministry.  
After almost ten minutes, Minerva had cooled down so much that he could have a reasonable conversation with her again.

"So, Minerva, we have no choice but to make these payments. If we could not do it, they could close the school in the worst case. Even if it does not come so far. I've seen the numbers. If everything goes well, we get out at the end of the school year with a little more than 5,000 ₲ in surplus." Voiced Albus.  
"That may be us Albus, but what about the parents? How shall we tell them that they must pay 5000 for every year? What do families like the Weasley do?" Minerva asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the next day around 2pm when Minerva went through the Diagon Alley towards Gringotts. Here and there she stopped to talk with people. She came at the steps of Gringotts and sighed briefly before raising her head and going up the steps. The two Goblin guards ignored her skillfully as she stepped through the main gates.  
She looked for the line with the shortest waiting time and went there.

"Name?" The Goblin in front of her grunted.  
"Countess Minerva McGonagall. I have an appointment with Nagnok at 15:00, because of the Hogwarts vault. I'll wait until he has time for me." Minerva replied with a firm but respectful voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a explaining from Minerva for Nagnok why she was here, the Goblin looked at her with a toothless smile. Outwardly, she did not let him know, because she knew what it meant to see a goblin smile. Most of those who saw a Goblin smile could not report it any more.

"Countess McGonagall, you are familiar with the Hogwarts' lease agreement?" The Goblin asked, still smiling.  
"After the last case I had to deal with it. So, I read it complete. "  
"Good. Then you know who owns the castle and the surrounding country?"  
"Naturally. Earl Peverell is the owner, and if I am not mistaken, him also belong to the adjacent four counties."  
"You are right. Earl Peverell is a major part of this region. He is only accountable to the Queen. In the treaty of 1651, the Earl of this time signed a treaty with the Ministry, when voices became louder that the ministry should have a right to co-ordinate the education of the children. This would be at the cost of the education of every student." A voice came from behind Minerva.

As she turned, she saw Ragnuk III, the head of Gringotts.  
"My prince." It came from Nagnok, before he limped.  
"Stand up, Nagnok. When I heard why Countess McGonagall came to us, I had to come personally. "  
"Of course, my prince. It would be an honor for me if you take my place." Said Nagnok was still kneeling.  
Ragnuk went around the table and sat down on the chair beside Nagnok was standing.  
"Countess McGonagall, what is little known, is the four founders of Hogwarts had all differently surname. That's why the Duke has so much land. But this is for another day. Let´s return to the contract. There is a clause that says that the ministry has to pay as much as every student has to pay. These fees are set so that the food for the school year and a few other things can be paid for. If a student pays 500, now, the ministry must pay another 500. Since this is no longer true, the Duke has dissolved the contract with immediate effect." explained Ragnuk.

"Well, first we'll get robbed and now we have no money at all." There was frustration in Minervas voice.  
"I did not say that Countess McGonagall. When the Treaty expires, the old rules will come into force again. Hogwarts is now getting the money from the vault provided by that Godric and Salazar. "  
"Hogwarts still has a vault? I thought vault number 345 would for school. At least, this is the safe for whom I got istatments in my position." Minerva said.  
"I can explain that to you. Since the vault was not used by the school, the statements went to Earl Peverell." Explain Ragnuk Minerva, who had gradually made a better impression of the situation.

"Ragnuk, would it be possible to talk to Earl Peverell?" She asked him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was two days since Minerva was in Gringotts and one since she met with the Earl and so it came that she now again in Albus office sat.

"Do I understand correctly, we are independent of the ministry's payments? We do not need to pay them anything?" He asked her unbeliever.  
"Not just that Albus. We have more money, which allows us to reintroduce subjects that the ministry has cut because of cost. And best of all, the Department of Magical Education has nothing to say. We are independent and only the Earl has a say. This means that we must stick to the ICW guidelines. The information will go to the Ministry tomorrow."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ministry of Magic  
Whitehall  
London  
England  
Great Britain

Department of Magical Education

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hereby inform you of the abolition of the contract 145879 of 1651. Besides, I declare you a Oathbreaker.

Earl Peverell

For the attention of: - Cornelius Oswald Fudge Minister of Magic,  
Elizabeth the Second, by God's grace Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her other kingdoms and territories, head of the Commonwealth, defender of faith.


	2. Chapter 2

Griselda Marchbanks sat at her table and was reading her memos, which were sitting there since last week. As she was only once a week in her office in the Department of Magical Education, this was a normal thing.  
She, like everyone else had read the proclamation form Minister Fudge in which he had told them about the new Study fees. This was the reason she rad raided her Families library the last few days.

There she had been looking for ways to reverse this increase. Since she had not heard of it until it was published in the Daily Prophet, because as long as she lived, she would make sure that the children of the children of her grandchildren, would enjoy the best of magical schooling there was.

This way she had also come across the lease agreement and asked for a copy of the archive of the Ministry, which she read between her memos.

"Griselda, nice to see you here." The voice of her friend Lady Augusta Longbottom reached her ear.  
"How are you? I hope good? I know how much you like visiting your grandchildren." Lady Longbottom continued as she entered the office.  
"Of course, I am fine. I'm only 153 years old. I can do a lot with my grandchildren." It came from Griselda.  
"Are you sure it's only 153 years, not 200?" Mocked Augusta.  
"Behave yourself. Unlike me, you're still a little kid, you're only 70 years old."  
The two women talked for a while when Madam Bones entered the office.

"Griselda, Augusta, you should accompany me. Fudge has received an answer to his tuition increase and he does not like it. He has called a special meeting of the Wizengamot," Amelia said to the two ladies.  
"It cannot be that this bad when a parent complains," Augusta replied.  
"Augusta, do you remember what happened to Snape?" Amelia asked.  
"Of course, how can I forget how this Death Eater was thrown out of Hogwarts. My Neville told me about it and we looked at his memory. I've never been happier when a teacher left."  
"Well, just imagine, it was done with the Minister!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Wizengamot chamber was bustling, members went to their chairs, assistants carried parchment scrolls to their superiors, Aurors went to their positions, and members chatted among themselves.  
August, Griselda and Amelia had split up to go to their respective family seats. It took another 10 minutes for all the members to sit in their chairs.  
Chief Warlock of Wizengamot Albus Dumbledore struck his desk with his hammer a few times and called everyone to order.  
"My dear witches and wizards. This Wizengamot emergency meeting was called for by our much-esteemed Minister Fudge. As such, I hand over the word to him.” With these words, Dumbledore opened the session.  
"Ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, in collaboration with members of the Hogwarts School Board and senior members of the Magical Education Department, I decided to increase tuition fees for Hogwarts. This was necessary because the costs for Hogwarts could no longer be borne by the Ministry alone. But now I've got a complaint about this increase." Said the minister.  
"We are here for a simple complaint?" Asked Tiberius Ogden, one of the oldest members.  
"We are not responsible for that." said another member, which led to the more members expressed their displeasure.

As it grew louder and louder in the room, Albus knocked his gavel down on the table again and called the members to rest: "Rest in the hall. Minister Fudge still has the floor."  
"Thanks, Chief Warlock Dumbledore. Like I said we got a complaint. In it the cancel Hogwarts' lease agreement was canceled."

For the second time in a few minutes, a commotion broke out in the chamber. Even Dumbledore was unable to rest.  
So only a few people saw how two people entered the room.

The few who saw it looked at them in surprise, because if a session was up and running, only the doors to the visitor gallery were open.  
The two were a man and a woman who were apparently in their thirties. Both wore very good quality robes and had family crests on the left chest.

Griselda was one of the few who noticed the two. She looked at each other and got a grin on the face.

"Like your grandfather and father." She murmured to herself, watching the two of them sat on one of Wizengamot vacant seats.

While Griselda kept an eye on the two, chaos took its course in the rest of the room.  
It was not until someone made a loud bang with his wand that the members began to calm down, allowing Albus to calm down completely.  
"I am giving the floor to Member Greengrass." Albus voice boomed in the hall.  
"Thanks, Chief Warlock. What I would like to know from Minister Fudge is who has written the letter and who has received on too. I do not think he was just send to the minister," said the head of the Greengrass family.  
"Listen, listen!" Ripe Griselda.

"Um. The letter went to me and a Muggle, named Elisabeth II. It was sent by ... " Fudge clarified the members question when he was suddenly interrupted by someone.  
"From me. I sent this letter." Spoke the man who had entered the room unobserved.  
"Lord James Charlus Potter, Lord Potter, Earl Peverell, and risen from the dead."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bomb had burst. Earl Peverell was unmasked, he was also believed dead, was the topping on the cake.  
"I canceled the contract because the ministry did not follow it anymore. The increase in tuition fees was neither discussed with us nor was it necessary. The increase is solely for the Ministry, the School Advisory Councils and, above all, the owner of the A.H.G Foundation, Minister Fudge personally."  
It was loud again, but a second cannon strike lowered the volume again.

"In the last 50 years, fees have been increased only minimally as fewer students came to Hogwarts. But what was done here is more than just an increase in tuition fees, as the minister calls it. Of the entire Galleon to be paid, only 250 ₲ flow into the Hogwarts safe. 250 ₲ of 5000 ₲. So far there have been 500 ₲, of which 400 ₲ were for Hogwarts. Also, the subsidy of the Ministry, which according to contract must correspond to the same sum, was reduced to 10 ₲. That's a breach of contract. That's why we're reopening the Old Hogwarts vault and the fees are the same as now. If there are any further questions, my wife and I will be happy to answer you in three days at a meeting in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. "

The End


End file.
